Notes of a contrarian strategist
The authors of blogs and books on strategy like metaphors.
“Strategy is a plan to conquer the market.”
“Strategy is an expedition into unknown realms.”
They compare business and strategy to discovering America, to a car you have to upgrade while it’s moving, or to military campaigns.
All these metaphors are misleading, and using them is risky because they skew the essence of business strategy.
Military forces act in the interests of politicians and can only destroy, not create.
Members of an expedition serve the interests of those who sent them.
A car only matters to those inside it.
But a company works for those who don’t work for it—its customers.
Customers are the reason it exists; serving them is its core purpose.
Would you like to make your company more customer-oriented? Let’s discuss it.